Harsh Realities
by Pan Tech
Summary: Sadly reality is inescapable even during the most joyous of times. Reefie Pairing


Author's Note: I'd like to thank Bonesy for proof reading this mess of a story. I also want to think her for encouraging me to post my first Final Fantasy story even though I had many reservations. The thanks also extend to mysticspiritus who not only encouraged me to post but helped me out during several moments of feeling very in incapable. Maybe now that I've overcame my fear with the pen, so to speak, Li can update her wonderful story,'Picture Perfect Truth'.

This is for The Viva La Reefie contest.

Disclaimer:: I own nothing.

Adorkable © of Marilena because that's who I heard it from first. =P

Harsh Realities 

Christmas was meant to be a time of joy, prosperity and harmony. All over Gaia those with faith in both a higher power and (IN) the goodness of the human spirit got together to celebrate the blessed time. Normally, the festive season would be welcomed with a blanket of soft, pure snow. However, the streets of Edge remained bare that year, much to the dismay of the downtrodden city kids hoping for a little Christmas joy.

Many people in Edge were unemployed and there seemed to be more and more people living on the streets each economic recession was shaking the already unstable city to its roots. This year there would be many children with no presents under the tree and no roof over their heads. For them, Christmas would be far from merry.

Yuffie had to agree with them. This Christmas was by far the worst ever. Not due to lack of presents or loss of shelter. It was due to far more selfish reasons. Daughter of Emperor Godo or not...she didn't always get what she wanted.

"Who invited her?" Reno wondered out loud. Immediately Yuffie looked up from her glass of wine and turned her attention to the source of Reno's confusion. Standing in the middle of Tifa's Bar in a sparkling dress, was none other than Scarlet the Harpy. Noting her evergreen earrings Reno added, "She looks like a Christmas Tree."

"She's so gaudy," Tifa didn't bother to hide her contempt. Her dislike for the woman wasn't anything new. Ever since the slap fest some years ago, Tifa had hated her with a passion. Being a business woman, Tifa swallowed down her hate and ignored the boisterous woman.

Reno and Yuffie nodded in unison as they stared at the flashy Scarlet because neither of them was very keen on her either.

Swaying listlessly from alcohol, Reno spun around on his stool to face his former enemy, Yuffie.

"So brat, how's life been treating you?" Though he hadn't consumed enough alcohol for it effect his speech, the intoxicating substance was quickly making its way to the redhead's brain and his extra daffy grin was a sign of that.

"I'm fine," she tried to smile but she was sure it came out as more of a grimace. She hoped Reno hadn't noticed.

"That's good," he smiled oafishly. "You've been quiet all night."

Yuffie shrugged. She wasn't about to divulge any personal information to Reno of all people. No, she wasn't going to tell anyone; she had decided that a long time ago. She hoped by ignoring the problem, it would simply disappear. After all, the new year was right around the corner, what better time to right the wrongs in her life?

"Tight lipped," Reno nodded, taking another large gulp of beer. "I figured as much. This should make you get all happy and hyper and annoying as hell like you are supposed to be." For a moment the Turk fumbled around in his coat pocket searching for something. Whatever it was, it certainly wasn't a rubber band or half a Cheerio which were for some reason in his pockets and fell uselessly to the floor.

"_AH HA_!" Pulling out his business card, he handed it to Yuffie with a devilish smile. "For you, madame. Merry Christmas."  
Upon closer exception Yuffie realized it wasn't a 'business card' in the conventional since. Below Reno's name was his occupation and phone number. His occupation being The Love Doctor with the Magic Touch. Yuffie didn't know whether to laugh at Reno's pathetic novelty card or run away in horror.

"Are you hitting on me Reno?" she teased. For the first time that night she felt a bit better. Not that she had a thing for Reno, but this was perfect blackmail material to use against him when he was sober.

His devilish smile only seemed to grow. Flashing him a sly smile, Yuffie gently placed her hand on Reno's chest. It was then that she noticed the woolen reindeer sweater under his blazer . There was no doubt that the a**dork**able sweater was a gift from Mother Reno."You've forgotten, Mr. WhateverYourLastNameIs..." Slipping his novelty card back into his blazer jacket, she stated simply, "I'm married."

The bell on the bar door rang, signaling that another patron had entered. Though her view of the door was blocked by bar patrons that were either trying to drink away the holiday blues or celebrating, she knew who it was. Call it her hyper sensitive ninja sense if you want.

Immediately she left her seat, leaving a busy Tifa to chat with a slightly intoxicated Reno as she took drink orders. Yuffie couldn't help but scold herself. This was the last thing she needed to be doing, yet here she was going towards him.

As Yuffie squeezed her way through the crowd of people at various states of inebriation her hyper ninja sense picked up his scent. Reeve often made fun of her, lightheartedly implying she was related to a bloodhound. To Yuffie's knowledge, it wasn't true.

As a ninja, she was taught to utilize all of her senses to the max and this included smell. She certainly couldn't help it that Reeve had a habit of wearing a very distinct cologne that she never could identify, but she could always recognize it in a crowd.

As she neared closer to her destination, the smell of Reeve's alluring cologne seemed to mingle with the strong smell of peppermint. Candy canes? No. Candy canes smelled appetizing, this smell held strong traces of cinnamon. A smell that always burned Yuffie's nose; even as a child.

She didn't comprehend it until she saw it with her own two eyes.

Reeve. Scarlet. Standing together.

No- not just standing together, Reeve had his arm around Scarlet's toothpick waist while the harpy's hand rested on Reeve's chest.

Maybe Yuffie pushed and shoved a bit more than she should have as she hotly approached the 'couple'. She didn't even try to work out in her enraged mind why she was so fumed. After all, she had no right to be and yet here she was, blazing mad.

"Hi." It wasn't a greeting, it was a snap. A silent vow of slow, painful death as she sent the two death glares. Scarlet merely smiled that fabricated smile of hers while Reeve seemed a bit unnerved by Yuffie's sudden appearance and enraged stare.

"Uh, hello Yuffie." For some unknown reason Reeve couldn't comprehend, he without delay withdrew his hands from Scarlet, causing the blonde women to send him an equally deadly glare. "I thought you weren't coming," he reminded Yuffie of what she had told Tifa only a few days ago.

"I wasn't, at first. I got free time," Yuffie said nonchalantly, eyes now locked on Scarlet.

"Well, nice to see you," Reeve cleared his throat awkwardly.

A bit unnerved by Yuffie's hot glare, Scarlet causally disappeared into the crowd. No doubt thinking about how if Yuffie decided to pounce on her, the little ninja would have eager assistance from a certain well trained in combat barmaid.

Yuffie's resolve to act accordingly melted away the moment she locked eyes with his. Grabbing him by the collar, the ninja dragged her companion into the empty back room. Shutting the door promptly behind her she turned to glare at Reeve. "What was that?!" she yelled, gesturing towards the closed door as if it offended her.

"That, sweet Yuffie, is a door." Oh no he wasn't going to do that again! He wasn't going to use his smartassiness to get himself out of this one. That trick had long since died.

"Why were you with Scarlet?" Yuffie yelled, stomping her foot on the floor like the child everyone swore she was. The vibration caused a haphazardly hung ornament that clung to the medium sized Christmas Tree to fall to the floor and shatter at Reeve's feet. Blue. His favorite color. Yuffie's least.

"Normally you attend parties with someone," he answered calmly, trying his best to downplay the whole thing. His constant fidgeting belied his coolness.

"But not with Scarlet the Harpy!" she exclaimed, growing madder by the moment. "She's had everyone in Gaia," she felt the urge to throw in.

"I'm not sleeping with her, Yuffie," he answered a bit crossly. He faked interest in the few neatly wrapped packages that lay under the tree. Anything was better than looking at Yuffie having another one of her meltdowns.

"Yet." Yuffie's normally sweet voice was acid and harsh to his ears. It was the biting tone she always used to get to him. It was the one that always made him feel low and inadequate in every way.

Unable to stand it anymore, Reeve massaged his temples, suddenly feeling more stressed than usual. "Yuffie," he asked with his eyes closed, trying to rub away the pain that throbbed in his head and ignore the dull ache in his chest. "You've dragged me in here in front of everyone and you don't have anything worthwhile to say, do you?"

Yuffie glared at him silence. He wouldn't even look at her. Had things come to this already? Was the mere sight of one another enough to make the other recoil into their own little shell? With these thoughts the Shinobi should have grown more flustered but instead she seemed to cool down. A frown appeared on her face. She stated somberly a fact that she knew he was aware of. "You are supposed to be here with me."

Looking down at her shoes, she didn't see Reeve's face fall and pain flash in his deep brown eyes. She didn't see him exasperatedly shaking his head as if asking the gods why did it have to be this way. Or maybe he was silently asking them why did she have to be here.

Regardless of what he was thinking, she did, however, feel his warm hand on her shoulder.

A comforting feeling from long ago ran through Yuffie's body. Repressing a sigh of contentment at his gentle touch, she gazed up in his eyes. Their faces seemed to ease closer and closer. Their lips seemed adjacent for the first time in what seemed like ages; barely a hair's width between them. Reeve then said a fact that he knew she was well aware of. "And you should be in Wutai with your husband and son."

Yuffie's already tattered heart shattered as Reeve left her in the room by herself to stare dully at the smashed Christmas ornament at her feet. It seemed to be a perfect imitation of her heart.

She had been a fool. A fool to think that while Godo matched her with her husband, Reeve would remain faithful to that stupid vow they had made so long ago. Only a few months had passed since the two had been in love and already Reeve seemed content to move on.

Gingerly picking up the broken pieces of glass, Yuffie realized she couldn't blame Reeve. She had been the one to obey her father. She had been the one to break the promise first. She had been the one to not only marry a total stranger, but have his child.

By the time Yuffie prepared to leave, a sudden snowfall fell upon the quiet city. Immediately, children ran outside, dressed in their warmest clothes to frolic in the winter wonderland around them.

She didn't feel very much like frolicking as she left her friends and former lover behind to return home. Home to her husband. Home to her four month old son.

She mused at the misconception so many people had that her life was so easy. Just because she was the daughter of Emperor Godo, mother to the heir of the Wutaiian throne, and three time world savior didn't mean she always got what she wanted for Christmas.

Delicately twirling her nimble fingers around her newest accessory, a sapphire silver necklace she had just received for Christmas. The little black box was placed discreetly in her black jacket with a small note that read Reeve on the front.

With that Yuffie knew he still felt the same.

She secretly hoped for both of their sakes that next year, Santa Claus would be much kinder and give the two lovers what they really wanted.

Author's Note: Well that's it. Review? Maybe? I really hope you enjoyed it some.


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